Colorless Distributed Combustion Gas Turbine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern gas turbine combustors face challenges in achieving ultra-low emissions of NOx, CO, and soot without catalysts or pollution control equipment, while maintaining a uniform thermal field and reducing noise levels to extend turbine blade life.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Colorless Distributed Combustion (CDC) technology, which involves the controlled mixing of higher momentum air jets and lower momentum fuel jets, allowing for spontaneous ignition and complete combustion with minimal hot spots, achieved through internal or external hot gas recirculation, and optimized fuel and air injection diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional combustion methods are used in gas turbine combustors, then complete combustion of fuel is achieved, but high emissions of NOx, CO, and soot are produced requiring catalysts or pollution control equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion process is segmented into multiple zones with different equivalence ratios. A central fuel-rich core region is surrounded by an air-rich outer region, creating a segmented structure that enables complete combustion while maintaining low emissions without requiring additional pollution control equipment
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the combustor are assigned different local qualities in terms of equivalence ratio and temperature distribution. The fuel-rich core provides conditions for complete combustion while the air-rich periphery suppresses NOx formation, achieving ultra-low emissions through spatially varying local conditions
2Power
If high intensity combustion is used to improve fuel efficiency, then energy output increases, but thermal field uniformity deteriorates causing hot spots and reduced turbine blade life
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor creates a controlled non-uniform thermal field with a fuel-rich cooler core and air-rich hotter periphery. This spatial variation in local quality balances heat release distribution, preventing localized hot spots while maintaining high overall combustion intensity for improved fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The equivalence ratio parameter is varied spatially within the combustor, with fuel-rich conditions in the core and air-rich conditions at the periphery. This parameter change enables simultaneous achievement of complete combustion and uniform thermal field distribution, extending turbine blade life
3Reliability
If traditional combustion approaches are used, then combustion stability is maintained, but noise levels increase reducing turbine component life
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion process is divided into distinct fuel-rich and air-rich zones that interact to maintain stability. The segmented structure with central core and outer periphery regions provides stable combustion while the distributed nature of the segments reduces noise generation compared to conventional single-zone combustion
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
CDC significantly reduces NOx and CO emissions, provides a uniform thermal field, lowers noise levels, and extends the life of combustor and turbine blades by eliminating hot spots, all without the need for catalysts or additional pollution control equipment.
Implementation Method 1
internal or external hot gas recirculation
Implementation Method 2
allowing for spontaneous ignition and complete combustion
Implementation Method 3
controlled mixing of higher momentum air jets and lower momentum fuel jets
Implementation Method 4
higher momentum air jets and lower momentum fuel jets
Data Source
AI summary
Colorless distributed combustion (CDC) reactors or green combustion gas turbine combustors having a combustion chamber are presented for improved performance of gas turbine combustion engines. The combustors are configured and designed for providing a superior pattern factor (uniform thermal field in the combustion zone) and a reduction or complete elimination of pollutants emission from the combustor (i.e., zero emission gas turbine combustor) and uniform thermal field in the entire combustion zone to provide significantly improved pattern factor. Colorless distributed combustion is achieved with fuel and air entering the combustion chamber via one or more injection ports as non-premixed, or premixed. Rectangular, cylindrical, stadium and elliptical shaped combustors are presented with injection ports and exit ports located in various locations of the combustors. The mixture preparation between fuel and air with the hot combustion products is carried out either with the gases present in the combustion chamber or via a communication link between the exit gases from the combustor back to the combustion chamber.